The invention relates to information processing apparatus for processing document and/or data.
Information processing apparatus (computer-based system) for processing business have been wildly used. Traditionally, to make an electronic document such as slip, ledger, or journal, all format particulars of a document must be coded on a coding sheet according to a programming language such as COBOL. This method requires, however, familiarity with the coding programming language on the part of a user and involves complicated coding procedures with low flexibility of formatting.
More recent information processing apparatus with advanced semi conductor devices are object-oriented. They incorporate a user friendly architecture and software, and make an electronic document primarily based on a display-driven system.
Some of the recent information processing apparatus receive ruled lines and/or character strings entered by keyboard and mouse operation on a display screen. The entered data are regarded as specifying format requirements of a document to be made. Thus, the apparatus formats an electronic document according to the entered data.
In some information processing apparatus, an input equipment such as mouse is operated to enter rule lines into a screen and select a desired field and domain. Then, a display window presenting a list of attributes or items associated with the designated field appears on the screen. A desired item in the list is selected to specify a format requirement of that field.
Such prior art information apparatus for processing a document still requires a complicated procedure and a voluminous manual to be learned by users, yet limited in flexibility of variably specifying format requirements. In addition, the entered information pieces on the screen are all regarded as specifying format particulars of a document to be made. Therefore, the prior art document information processing apparatus have the disadvantages in several respects. For example, information pieces not related with the document format, such as command, branch name, telephone number etc., cannot be entered as document contents. A considerable amount of time is consumed to specify format particulars of document to be made since it involves a sequential invoking of windows on the screen. The entire format requirements of a document cannot be confirmed at once.
In view of the above problems, an object of the invention is to improve object-oriented features and to provide an information processing apparatus and method capable of making a desired document based on simplified operation by a user.
Another object of the invention is to provide an information processing apparatus and method capable of making a desired document by entering characters, symbols and/or graphicals into a document.
A further object of the invention is to provide a document information processing apparatus and method capable of entering document contents as well as format particulars thereof.
A further object of the invention is to provide a document information processing apparatus and method capable of entering data-managing as well as document formatting requirements.
A yet further object of the invention is to provide a document information processing apparatus and method capable of confirming input requirements of a document at once.
In accordance with an aspect of the invention, there is provided an information processing apparatus in which written signs in the form of characters, symbols and/or graphicals written in a document are entered as descriptors for specifying format requirements of a document to be made. According to the descriptors, the desired document is formatted. In another mode of the invention, written signs in the form of characters, symbols and/or graphicals written in a document are entered as descriptors for specifying desired document data management requirements. According to the descriptors, a desired document is formatted and data-managed.
The descriptors of the invention comprise descriptor-dedicated written signs for dedicately constructing descriptors. The descriptor-dedicated written signs are qualified with predetermined attributes which are distinct from those of ordinary writings representative of document contents. The descriptor-dedicated written signs may directly be written within an area or domain having an object of descriptors. The descriptors may also include those ordinary written items which are designated in a predetermined manner. Such ordinary written items may be signed by predetermined descriptor-designated written signs. The written sign entering device uses a common input system to enter the ordinary writings representative of document contents and descriptors for specifying document requirements as an image or from a display screen.
The descriptor recognizing device recognizes from written signs entered by the written-sign entering device descriptors that specify a desired document format and document data managing. The descriptor recognizing device recognizes from an entered image of document writings descriptor-dedicated written signs having predetermined attributes. The descriptor recognizing device may recognize from descriptor-dedicated written signs, those marks having predetermined characters, symbols and/or graphicals as descriptor elements. From the entered information, the descriptor recognizing device may identify ordinary written items representative of document contents and determine ordinary written signs as predetermined descriptors when they are designated by predetermined descriptor element written signs. From the entered information, characters and graphicals are recognized for all descriptor-dedicated written signs and those ordinary written signs associated therewith only. As a result of the recognition, document element records are created for respective descriptor-dedicated written signs and associated ordinary written items.
The descriptor recognizing device executes commands of edit-document descriptors, the object of which is specified by an already entered ordinary written item or descriptor-dedicated written sign. As a result, the ordinary sign and/or descriptor-dedicated written sign is changed, moved, copied or deleted. The descriptor recognizing device may be responsive to a command of requesting for classifying an already entered written sign into either an ordinary written item or descriptor-dedicated written sign to execute the command to thereby classify the written sign into either an ordinary written item or descriptor-dedicate written sign. As a result of the execution, the ordinary written item or descriptor-dedicate written sign is changed, moved, copied or deleted.
The formatting device formats a desired document, or data manages and formats a desired document according to the descriptors recognized by the descriptor recognizing device.
The formatting device may first execute those descriptors pertaining to an edit-document group to edit-process written signs in the document and then execute those descriptors pertaining to a format-document group to specify a format of written signs in the document.
In accordance with the invention, written signs in the form of characters, symbols and/or graphicals additionally written in a document are entered to specify desired descriptors which are then utilized to make a desired document. Such written signs may be very familiar to users so that users can easily make a desired document with a simple operation. If desired, already-entered ordinary written items can be converted into written signs for desired descriptors, thus facilitating document making with high efficiency.
Using the edit-document feature, already-entered descriptors can freely be changed, moved, copied and/or deleted, thus providing great flexibility of document making with high efficiency.